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Never Forget

AFA-CWA Officers Message

September 1, 2016

Dear Flight Attendants:

This September it is hard to believe that we will mark 15 years since the events of September 11, 2001. As always, our crewmember Heroes are prominent in our hearts and minds. No matter the uniform we wear or the routes we fly, we will always remember the events of September 11th and honor our heroes. As new hire Flight Attendants join our ranks, we will help them to know our heroes who give meaning to the work we do today. Our union encourages Flight Attendants around the globe to wear a black ribbon under your AFA pin and join us for a moment of silence and quiet reflection at 8:46 AM Eastern Time on Sunday, September 11th.

Our heroes acted as first responders. They relayed the first intelligence of the day that served to alert our country and our fellow crewmembers on Flight 93 who in turn acted without reservation against evil, sacrificing their own lives to protect our country and the lives of countless others.

This day highlights the tremendous bravery of Flight Attendants. The incredible pain of mourning for our dear friends also inspired new actions of heroism as our profession changed forever. In our Flight Attendant union, we found comfort in one another and the courage to get back on airplanes to usher passengers and fellow crewmembers home to their loved ones.

Every day since September 11th, Flight Attendants go to work with an even greater sense of responsibility. We know that not only are we first responders to emergencies affecting the health and safety of our passengers and other crewmembers, we are also our nation’s last line of defense in aviation security. Fifteen years ago we vowed to never forget and never allow the events to be repeated. We made the commitment to gain the resources and recognition to support our work as first responders and the last line of defense. Our work continues every day.

This year we begin a tradition of an AFA Honor Guard in uniform to ensure the public remembers the sacrifice of Flight Attendants at our three national memorials. This Honor Guard is comprised of Flight Attendants who have all done work to honor our heroes or advance our legislative agenda to Never Forget. Any member who volunteers time on our Never Forget initiatives throughout the year may be eligible to serve in future years as a member of our AFA Honor Guard.

On the day of September 11th, AFA leaders and members will be present in uniform along with our Honor Guard at services at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, the Flight 93 Chapel and Memorial in Shanksville and several other remembrance events around the country. AFA’s online memorial, Never Forget, honors all of the 35 crewmembers and agents aboard those four fateful flights. Never Forget includes a listing of memorial events and services around the country, and features a page where you can share your thoughts, memories and tributes.

Whether you choose to fly in tribute to our heroes or to recognize the day in some other way, know that you are part of a Flight Attendant family, and that through our unity, we are strong, resourceful and resilient. Never Forget that it is our unity, our compassion for one another and our resolve to protect all of the freedoms of individual expression that make us strong. We will never forget our heroes and we will always seek to honor their sacrifice with our actions – not only through our work for safer skies, but in the way we contribute to each of our communities at home and those that we visit around the world.

Twenty-five Flight Attendants, eight Pilots and two Customer Service Agents died on September 11th. Today, and every day, we honor their memory. We will never forget:

United Flight 175

Flight Attendant: Robert J. Fangman

Flight Attendant: Amy N. Jarret

Flight Attendant: Amy R. King

Flight Attendant: Kathryn LaBorie

Flight Attendant: Alfred G. Marchand

Flight Attendant: Michael C. Tarrou

Flight Attendant: Alicia N. Titus

Captain: Victor Saracini

First Officer: Michael Horrocks

Customer Service Representative: Marianne MacFarlane

Customer Service Representative: Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93

Flight Attendant: Lorraine G. Bay

Flight Attendant: Sandra Bradshaw

Flight Attendant: Wanda A. Green

Flight Attendant: CeeCee Lyles

Flight Attendant: Deborah Welsh

Captain: Jason Dahl

First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11

Flight Attendant: Barbara Arestegui

Flight Attendant: Jeffrey Collman

Flight Attendant: Sara Low

Flight Attendant: Karen Martin

Flight Attendant: Kathleen Nicosia

Flight Attendant: Betty Ong

Flight Attendant: Jean Roger

Flight Attendant: Madeline Sweeney

Flight Attendant: Dianne Snyder

Captain: John Ogonowski

First Officer: Thomas McGuinness

American Flight 77

Flight Attendant: Michele Heidenberger

Flight Attendant: Jennifer Lewis

Flight Attendant: Kenneth Lewis

Flight Attendant: Renee May

Captain: Charles Burlingame

First Officer: David Charlebois

In Solidarity,

Sara Nelson, International President
Debora Sutor, International Vice President
Kevin Creighan, International Secretary-Treasurer